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The Big Explosion
Joe Friday and Bill Gannon investigate the theft of 8 boxes of Gelatin Dynamite. Realizing that the Neo-Nazis are involved with the theft Friday and Gannon go after the suspect. Can they get the suspect to talk and tell them where he placed the dynamite or will they risk having Los Angeles blown sky-high? Story Act 1 September 15, 1967 7:01 AM Friday and Gannon report for work early. They're working with the bomb squad today in the burglary division. 8 boxes of gelatin dynamite have been stolen from an explosive magazine at a construction site. Friday and Gannon need to find out who stole them and where they are. Captain Mack reports that the scene of the crime which is the Donnelly construction yard was attacked by two masked men with US Army MKII Grenades. Possession of a grenade is violation of the dangerous weapons control law. According to Friday whoever did it has to be a sick man. Friday and Gannon arrive at the Donnelly Construction Company and talk to the night watchman who takes them into the office. The Watchmen explains what happened and hands over the license plate tag number. Ganon goes outside to talk to the foreman and then both of them come back inside the office it's been confirmed eight cases of dynamite have been stolen. Along with the dynamite 3 boxes of detonators have also been stolen. The bomb squad Commander Ray Murray examines the grenade that was thrown fortunately because it was raining the grenade is a dud. The foreman tells Friday and Gannon that they need to hurry 8 cases filled with 800 pounds of dynamite can level two city blocks. Detective Murray shows Friday and Gannon the detonators warning them if they find them they need to turn the radio off because any messages on the radio will set off the bomb. Friday and Gannon trace the car used in the robbery to its owner and drive over to his house. Act 2 Friday and Gannon drive to the owner's house the guy is a bartender who works in Chinatown. He did not file a stolen vehicle report. Realizing that this lead is a dead end Friday and Gannon drive to the owners place of work which is the bar in Chinatown. Friday and Gannon take a booth in the bar and wait for the suspect to show up he does not the owner of the vehicle comes in to relieve the day shift guy and points out our informant. Friday interrogates the informant and identifies our suspect Donald Lewis Chapman who is wanted for shooting a black man on the freeway with a gun and assault with a deadly weapon. Friday and Gannon drive to Chapman's address they find the car but Chapman is not home. They break into the house and find Neo Nazi propaganda and Neo-Nazi paraphernalia all over the place along with Italian assault rifles and M14s. They also find the grenades that were thrown into the construction yard on the day of the robbery. They search the closet and sure enough they find the boxes of dynamite and the detonators but one of them is empty and four of the dynamite boxes have all the sticks missing. Gannon calls headquarters on the phone and tells the officers don't use their radios which will set off the bomb. He tells Captain Mack what happened and the bomb squad arrives at the house 10 minutes later. The DA comes in with Murray saying that if they removed the explosives without arresting Chapman the case could blow up and they could be charged with illegal entry. Friday makes his decision the detonators have to be removed from the house or it will blow up. Murray signals his men and they come inside and take the detonators. Murray checks the explosives sure enough 4 boxes are empty and one of the detonator boxes is also empty. Act 3 Friday and Gannon set up a stakeout for Chapman sure enough he shows up escorted by Adam 12 officers Jim Reed and Pete Malloy. Friday and Gannon place Chapman under arrest and start interrogating him. Friday and Gannon grill Chapman but he won't talk finally he lets slip that he's going to blow up a school at 9 o'clock. Friday calls headquarters and sends Murray over to the school to evacuate it. Headquarters calls and confirms they found the bomb it was found in a ventilation shaft wired to the bells set to go off at 9 o'clock when school starts. Friday and Gannon place Chapman in cuffs and send him to jail. Sentencing Donald Lewis Chapman was found guilty of attempted murder and theft. He was sentenced to life in prison in the California State Penitentiary San Quentin California also known as Q Prison. After planting the bomb Chapman's partner Harry Albert Jones escaped to Reno Nevada he was arrested and sentenced to five years in the Nevada State Penitentiary Carson City.